His season might have ended in brutal fashion, but 2026 has seen Tadej Pogacar maintain his journey to becoming the greatest cyclist of all time, while also arguably being the most dominant athlete in the sporting world at present.
The Slovenian has once again been well supported by his UAE Team Emirates-XRG colleagues who have helped Pogacar add another seven major titles to his CV, including a record-equalling fifth Tour de France crown, racking up a total of 22 wins.
Pogacar was also on course to win his first Vuelta a Espana title, only to suffer a horror crash on Stage 8 that left him needing surgery for a broken collarbone, bringing his campaign to a premature end. Below, we take a race-by-race look back at his latest remarkable season in the saddle.
Back with a bang in Tuscany
After deciding against defending his UAE Tour crown – won by teammate Isaac del Toro – Pogacar's season would start with a bang at the Strade Bianche on March 7.
Set up perfectly by his team, Pogacar soloed to a third successive victory and a record fourth title, crossing the finish line in Tuscany one minute ahead of Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) with Del Toro third. It was the sixth straight year Pogacar had won his opening race.
Pogacar said: “It was an honour to ride with the whole team today; it was so beautiful to see. I am really proud and happy … We did an amazing job, and without the team, it is impossible to ride like this.”
Milan-San Remo ticked off list
Even a crash that left him with cuts, bruises and a torn skinsuit could not stop Pogacar from winning the Milan-San Remo for the first time, albeit by the tightest of margins, on March 21.
Pogacar hit the deck just before the key climb of the Cipressa but managed to recover before taking the win ahead of Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling) by half a wheel. It meant the Slovenian had now won four out of the five Monument Classics, while his 11th Monument victory brought him level with Roger de Vlaeminck. Only Eddy Merckx, with 19 victories, has more.
Pogacar said: “For a second I thought it was all over, but luckily I was quickly back on the bike. Pidcock was really, really strong. I was lucky in the sprint; he's a really fast guy.”
Belgium brilliance with solo win
Pogacar made it three wins out of three with a record-equalling third victory as he successfully defended his Tour of Flanders title on April 5.
The Slovenian launched his solo attack with 18km to go and finished 34 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe). It meant Pogacar had now won four Monuments in a row, dating back to last year’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Pogacar said: “It was a really crazy race today. It was super hard and then it was a little bit of a waiting game … I don’t race too much; when I race, there is pressure to win. So far, everything went perfect for me.”
Edged out in Paris-Roubaix thriller
One week later, attention turned to the Paris-Roubaix — the one Monument Pogacar had left to win, which he had earmarked as a pre-season priority.
It turned out to be an unforgettable battle with Wout van Aert (Visma – Lease a Bike) which culminated in a tense two-man sprint finish. Sadly for Pogacar, it was the Dutchman who came out on top in the Roubaix velodrome, with the Slovenian having to settle for second place for a second year running.
“It was a very difficult race – I had to change bikes twice and we spent a lot of energy chasing back. I knew [Van Aert] is very fast … I gave my best, but he was stronger.” Pogacar said.
Back to winning ways
After the disappointment in France, normal service resumed in Belgium as Pogacar secured a third straight Liege-Bastogne-Liege title on April 26.
The world champion was made to fight by Seixas before finally breaking free on the final climb with 14km to go as Pogacar came home 45 seconds ahead of the French rider for his 13th Monument crown. Pogacar won the title for a fourth time, one shy of Merckx's record of five Liege victories.
Pogacar said: “It means a lot to win one of the biggest races of the year again. I don't do many races … so it's a lot of pressure for me to deliver on days like today, and I'm really happy that we succeeded.”
Debut delight at Tour de Romandie
It was time for Pogacar to tackle his first stage race of the campaign with a debut attempt at the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland on April 28.
But there was to be no change in the story for Pogacar's rivals as he powered to a victory with four stage wins in a week of total dominance. Pogacar finished General Classification (GC) 42 seconds clear of Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Pogacar said: “It was always beautiful to see it on the TV, so I wanted to come here to race, to experience it, and to win. It was a real pleasure to ride this week in Romandie.”
More Swiss success
Back in Switzerland the following month, it was more of the same for Pogacar with the Tour de France on the horizon.
Victory in the Tour de Suisse meant Pogacar had won a race for the first time on three occasions this year after the Milano San Remo and Tour de Romandie. He secured victories in three out of the five stages and finished the GC a mammoth six minutes and 32 seconds ahead of Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost).
Pogacar said: “It was a super hard day. The parcours was really tough and with the team, we did a super job. Now it is time to reset a little bit at home … and we are off to Barcelona very soon for the Tour de France.”
Pogacar wins fifth Tour title – in pictures
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UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Tadej Pogacar celebrates winning the Tour de France at the end of Stage 21 on Sunday. AFP -
Tadej Pogacar rides past the Sacre Coeur basilica en route to winning his fifth Tour de France title. AFP -
UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the yellow jersey, with teammate Isaac Del Toro, in the white jersey, during the final Stage 21 of the Tour de France. Reuters -
From left: UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, EF Education-EasyPost team's Ecuadorian rider Richard Carapaz, in red polka dots best climber's jersey, Lidl-Trek team's Mads Pedersen, wearing the green jersey of best sprinter, and UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Isaac Del Toro, wearing the best climber's jersey, on Sunday. AFP -
Tadej Pogacar during Stage 21 of the Tour de France. EPA -
Richard Carapaz, wearing the polka dot jersey, during the 21st and final stage. Reuters -
Riders during Stage 21 of the Tour de France. Reuters -
Riders go past the Luxor Obelisk during Stage 21. Reuters
Historic Tour title
Now for the big one at the Tour de France … and Pogacar did not disappoint as the Slovenian dominated from start to finish on July 26, winning five stages and wearing the leader's yellow jersey for 16 out of the 21 race days.
Pogacar's fifth title meant he had equalled the record held by Jacques Anquetil, Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. He finished the GC 6:26 ahead of Evenepoel while teammate Del Toro sealed third place on the Mexican's Tour debut.
Pogacar said: “If you enter the Tour de France, you have to suffer … You meet the biggest rivals, everybody in great shape, so you have to suffer as well. Now let us enjoy this moment.”
Pain in Spain
Less than a month after celebrating a historic win in Paris, Pogacar was lining up for the opening stage of the Vuelta a Espana as he looked to complete a Grand Tour clean sweep.
Pogacar nicked the opening time trial by just 0.09 seconds, before Stage 3 had to be abandoned due to a torrential hailstorm. A breathtaking victory was secured on Stage 4 in Andorra after he launched a solo attack with 50km to go, while Pogacar made it a hat-trick of wins on Stage 6, only for the crash on Stage 8 ended his hopes and his season. He was nearly four minutes ahead in the GC at the time.
Pogacar said: “It has been a season with many special moments and I’m proud of what we achieved together. Now I’ll focus on getting healthy … and coming back next year ready for what’s ahead.”
